Summary Post

This post is compeletely out of character, it is just to summerize for Edena’s benefit if he should chose to rule in favor of my idea. The following players have stated that they would lend assitance, in attacking the Shade/Vecna alliance

JohnBrown
Anabstercorian
Turrosh Mak
Uvenelei (offered Zagyg’s help to trap, but said nothing of troops)
GnomeWorks
Dagger
William Roland (who has been given the right to speak for Black Omega, Alyx, Darkness, and Forrester)

John Brown: I am here and I stand with you. So does Forrester, Black Omega, Alyx, and Darkness. (I am running Alyx's forces while he is on vacation. Darkness asked me to handle his forces until I can get to the boards.)

A statement is issued by Archcleric Hazen:

"The Kevellond League stands against those who would warp the reality of Oerth to fit their petty desires."

"Lord Rhaumgaum, why did we not seek a truce with you? Elementary. Your limited doctrine does not even admit peace being a legitimate possibility, only a rest before more attacks. We know you seek to bend this world to your will. You have failed miserably with Toril, to the extent that your Church is nothing more than a glorified band of criminals."

"You have found your true soul mate in Vecna. Both of you seem to personify appetite for its own sake. Be careful, Rhaumgaum, lest you become Vecna's feast after he is done with everyone else. Or is this the definition of courage by your poorly cobbled-together god? I do not know what to compare Lord Melkor to: a badly sewn rag used to collect pus from an infected wound or a stew of rotten meat, spoiled vegetables, and such offal that an oytugh would ignore."

"Also, Lord Rhaumgaum, I would like to compliment you on your diplmatic skills. You missed your true calling in life. However, if you hurry, a circus is in need of a clown and a village could still use an idiot such as yourself."

"To the God Emperor of the Dark Union of Eastern Oerth: Truly you see what you have allied yourself with? Someone who stands besides the foe of your ally Kas? Aerdi's plans for power will be meaningless if Vecna and the Church of Shade rule over all. We urge you to stand with us."

"To Kas: Your foe has revealed his face. He has allied with someone who has sought to use your brother-in-arms. Stand with those who would fight Vecna in this hour."

"We urge all who would stand against Vecna and his ally to join with us. The fate of Oerth is in the hands of its people. Let us not fail the world in the face of an ancient evil and the criminal scum of another world. Now is the hour of destiny."

"Friends and old foes stand as one against this common threat. People of Oerth, stand with us!"

Edena: 10 PL of Varnaith troops were assigned before the turn to aid in the defense of Celene. They will assist the real queen, not the pretender set up by Rhialto or his allies. They are given all our information on the Black Brotherhood's actions as is the REAL queen. (You know which one I mean. The one who is allied with me and Turrosh Mak.)

"Iuz is a respectable man. If you truely desire to join him, go to him. I want to know how this started, however. Who began talks that Iuz was needed to protect you? We have stood completely unscathed here. If it is your intentions to leave the rest of our elven nations, then go ahead and toss your father's and mother's banner away. But head my warning, leaving for one side or the other, hardship is still likely."

Sanctus Punitor leaves that night for Celadon forest to speak with both Queen's of Celene. He performs a short investigation of each before returning to Fellreeve.

During the Next day Sanctus goes to the Grandwoods.

"You are some of the bravest men I have ever seen. You stand against the enemy without any fear at all. You stand against them when they attack your homeland. You stand against them when it is without hope. And I'll be thrown into the abyss for ever doubting your strength. I agree fully that we could have held the Grandwoods together. When I and the Dark Union convened they were pompous and confident they could take you. I ask you people, however, not to stand here and fight against this enemy for such a long time. I would have sent an army of millions to help you. But I don't want to fight them here, not here in this forest. They tried to burn it down and failed. This is because the forest is strong. We could survive in this forest, but would the forest survive us? I may have enemies, but the forest is our caregiver, and I won't stand to let it fall to our useless bickering. Come with me to Calrune and Delrune, not to be cowards, but to save this forest from an idiot's dimise. Your homes may be saved yet, but not by fighting in them!"

Now Sanctus Punitor returns to Celene to continue investigations of the queen for as long as two days before returning to his armies. If any information is discerned by Sanctus or his sword that can determine who the true queen is, then I will announce on returning to my army which queen is true.

OOC- Serpenteye... I'm trying to help you secure the Grandwoods with that little speech. What is your stance on Vecna - BTW?

The Shade and Vecna combined have on the order of 200 PL worth of forces in Shadow Throne.
However, both of them have superior forces due to 10th level magic on Vecna's part, and technology on the Shade's part, so their strength is greater than 200 PL.

Vecna is not attacking. He has dug in, and his great army has dispersed along the entirety of the Front.
It would appear Vecna intends simply to preserve the Shade for the moment.

Iuz, your plan to entrap Vecna will not work because the Globe was attuned specifically to Iuz.
You will need to build a new Globe, one specifically attuned to Vecna, to entrap him.
The Shade leaders cannot be entrapped in this fashion.

Of course, Iuz finds this out when he teleports in to the Tower - there is nothing stopping him from doing so.
He is able to get in and out without being attacked.
If he wishes to take the Globe in which he was imprisoned for study, that's fine.

If a combined assault on Vecna and the Shade is going to take place, you all must state so.
That is, Turrosh Mak, Dagger, GnomeWorks, Williams, Uvenelei, Forrester and any others must all state they are attacking in concert.

Vecna sends his pledge of friendship and mutual alliance to the Dark Union the Solistarim, and Acererak.
He even sends a token of respect to Acererak (don't ask what it is he sends ...)

- - -

Vecna walks up to Shadowlady Ahlissa, and sweeps her into his arms, and whispers into her beautiful face:

Long have I watched you, Lady Beautiful.
Your dark body is a delight to my senses.
Your dark mind is a joy to my heart.
You dark soul fills me with a hungry lust.

Say you will be mine, and I shall make you my wife and Queen.
You will be mine, body, mind, and soul.
My Queen, my wife, my slavegirl, my delicious plaything.
You will call me Master and Lord and delight in every obedience to my whim.
I shall be your Lord, and my rule over you will be strict.
You shall pleasure me day and night, and everything I command you shall eagerly do.

The Shade will bow to you, and you shall speak for the Lord Melkor above all others.
You shall be Queen of all Oerth and Toril, and they will live or die upon your word.
The worthy ones will serve you, and do your every bidding ... you shall live in the grandest luxury and ease, while the worthy toil and slave for you.
The unworthy ones will be brought and tortured for your pleasure, and given to you as playthings for your delight.

All of this I will bequeath unto you, beautiful girl, if you will be mine.
The worlds and their peoples shall bow before you, and you shall bow before me, and together we will rule over Shade and the Living!

Then Vecna gives her a long, lavish kiss, and it seems to her that she beholds not the elderly one-eyed man, but a man in his youth.
Tall, kingly, filled with health and life, holding in his hands the keys to awesome power.
Gray eyes look into hers, and a stern, solemn face fills her gaze, while his long golden hair falls about her own locks.

Sanctus, you get an interesting reply from the people of Fellreev Forest.
They claim they NEVER sent any emissaries to Iuz.
They HATE Iuz; why in the name of the Seldarine would they want to even talk to his monsters, much less submit their forest to him???!!

They look at Sanctus as if he were mad.

However, emissaries of Iuz, I am sure, have been captured and are being detained and questioned by the elves of Fellreev Forest.
These emissaries say that Fellreev Forest HAS joined the Empire of Iuz, and they have the documents to prove it.
They then produce the documents, and indeed - there is the deed giving Fellreev to Iuz, and it is signed by the appointed leader of the Fellreev Forest herself.

In Celene, the civil war ends with the Queen being thrown down (whether it is the pretend Queen or the real Queen, is a good question.)
The Queen who supports allowing ORCS into the elven realm of Celene (which previously had never even admitted humans), is the one that is put back into power.
A large part of the elven population refuses to acknowledge the new Queen, whether it be the rightful Queen or not the rightful Queen.

They demand the release of the imprisoned Queen, so that they can establish a new realm under her, free of orcs and other humanoids.
They threaten to continue the civil war if this is not done.

Ekbir and Tusmit join the rebellion against the Baklunish Confederation.
It would appear there is a very real danger the who Baklunish Confederation is going to fall apart.

Meanwhile, the Great Province of Northern Aerdi, devastated by war, offers (without authorization) a peace treaty to the forces up in the Dark Swamp, and declares indepedence from the Dark Union.
Having seen the fate of Drax, the leaders of the Great Kingdom of Northern Aerdi have protected themselves with an army.
About 5 PL worth of army has defected and gone over to them.

The people of the Great Kingdom of Northern Aerdi, knowing what is coming, are fleeing into Adri Forest, or to any place of sanctuary they can find.
The Lost Elves want to know what is going on, before the whole Dark Union breaks up.
Nyrond watches all of this, ready to declare it's own independence if the Great Kingdom of Northern Aerdi can get away with doing so.

The Father of Obedience wakes up one morning to find five of his top people lying dead around him, and a note, which says:

Some secrets should remain so. Do not pry into places where you do not belong.

The robots are on the move again. Nobody knows exactly where, but they are being led again - someone has deliberately attacked them, provoking them into attacking back.

Anabstercorian, someone successfully raided the City of the Gods, right through the Solistarim cordon.
As a result of the confusion caused by this raid, Valkys's force (which was sitting and waiting for it's chance) also jumps through the cordon, and raids the City of the Gods.
Rolls the dice for 3%. 25.
Rolls the dice for 4%. 13.
Not yet! The City of the Gods still sleeps.

Now, if Anabstercorian goes INTO the City of the Gods to kill the raiders, that counts as a raid on the City of the Gods in itself.
He can maintain the cordon to keep the raiders trapped, but if he does, then they stay in the city, and the chance of it waking up increases rapidly.
He can open the cordon to let them out of the city. If he does, they may escape.

Melkor, I need Lady Ahlissa's response to Vecna.
Remember, she cannot lie to him - he can read her mind like a book that has been opened and is being held open by the hands of a titan.
He will tolerate a little anger and resentment, knowing (from his perspective) that women do not think with their heads, but only with their hearts.

Now, there is an old saying: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Well, here is a new saying: Hell REALLY hath no fury like Vecna scored.

The fate of the Empire of Shade may depend upon what Ahlissa says, does, and thinks, as Vecna sweeps her up in his arms, kisses her, and speaks his dark love and lust for her.

(Original post removed to reflect what everyone’s character actually knows)

Iuz quickly appears before Lord Robilar, “Launch the attack, then after 15 minutes reign the attack back in.”

“What?” asked Robilar with disbelief, “Sir, we just got reports in that state we can expect reinforcements…”

“DO AS I SAY, OR DO YOU WANT ME DINING ON YOUR SOUL?” exclaimed Iuz. Iuz had a strange look in his eyes. It may have been excitement, concern or possibly even panic. Robilar always had a difficult time “reading” Iuz.

“As you say sire, but if you would just tell me…”

“JUST DO AS I SAY”

Robilar quickly turned to a subordinate, “You heard the President…start the attack, tell the squad commanders to pull back to our original lines after 15 minutes…”

As soon as the attack commenced, Iuz disappears. Five minutes later, just as the forces of Kevellond and Turrosh Mak were about to join the attack, their Generals see Iuz reappear, and flee…that’s right flee…the battlefield.

The generals of the allied forces eye Robilar suspiciously….

Robilar pretend not to see Iuz’s flight, “It’s going to be one of THOSE campaigns I see,” thinks Robilar to himself, “I wonder what else could go wrong today….?”